Charted: Where Inflation Has Hit the Hardest (2000–2025)
January 13, 2026
By Dorothy Neufeld
Graphics/Design:
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Key Takeaways- Overall U.S. inflation has increased 92% over the past 25 years.
- The cost of many essentials, like hospital services, childcare, medical care, housing, and even the cost of food, are rising at a faster rate than inflation overall.
- Meanwhile, the cost of technology (software, TVs, toys) is generally becoming cheaper on a relative basis.
Affordability remains a potent issue in America, with both Trump and Mamdami campaigning on high costs of living.
Even though inflation has fallen to around 2.7%, prices are about 25% higher than in 2020. Meanwhile, certain sectors, like housing and healthcare, have far outpaced this rate, putting growing strain on consumer wallets.
This graphic shows U.S. inflation by category, based on data from the &more=0]Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The chart was inspired by Mark J. Perry’s famous “Chart of the Century”, which you should also take a look at.
?? Note: The BLS calculates CPI by tracking price changes for a fixed “basket” of goods, adjusting for quality improvements over time. For tech products, rapid gains in performance mean consumers get far more value per dollar, which shows up as large price declines even if sticker prices don’t fall.
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